The world of Tzu Chi May 2021 (Vol.134)

TZU CHI 134 55 * This article is extracted from the book “Return to Our Pure Nature”. “The mind, the Buddha and sentient beings are no different in nature.” In a moment of ignorance, we sentient beings turn away from enlightenment and abandon our intrinsic enlightened nature. Our true minds become defiled by the dust of worldly desire, and our lives become deluded and filled with constant conflict. tree to warn the deer king, but it was too late. The king’s troops had the deer king surrounded, with their bows drawn. The deer king woke up and saw that there was no way to escape. He knelt before the king, raised his head slowly, and said, “Your Majesty, it is clear that I cannot avoid being captured and that there is no way to escape. Please, allowme to say a fewwords first then I will go with you peacefully.” The king was very surprised by this and agreed to allow the deer king to speak. “Your Majesty, how did you know where to find me?” asked the deer king. The king answered that a man had told him. The deer king dropped his head sadly, “Some time ago, a man was drowning, and I risked my own life to save him. After he was safe, he offered to be my servant, to fetch water and cut grass for me. I did not accept his offer and asked only that he does not tell anyone where I lived. All I wanted was to live in peace, to avoid the many people in the world who want to kill me for my skin and horns.” After hearing this, the king was deeply moved. The deer had risked his own life to save a human being, and all he wanted in return was to live in peace. Human beings are so easily tempted by greed that they will easily disregard the kindness shown to them and break their promises. They would even hurt those who once saved them. Humans are indeed evil. The king turned to the nine-coloured deer and said, “From now on, you can live here without worry or fear. I will let it be known that this forest is under my personal protection. No one will be allowed to hunt or hurt any animal living here.” The king and his men returned to the city, and keeping his promise, he declared the new law that no one was allowed to hunt or hurt any animals in the great forest under penalty of prison. Back in the palace, the king explained to the queen, “I found the nine-coloured deer, and in addition to being very beautiful, he is also very kind—so kind that he once saved one of our citizens from drowning. I could not bear to capture him, so I let him go.” The queen, who had been obsessed with making the deerskin coat and antler earrings, became so infuriated that her heart burst and she died. The king was sad about the queen’s death, but it caused him to contemplate the greed and desire that had killed her. He also thought about the man who had desired wealth so much that he disregarded the kindness of the one who saved his life. We should all take this story about the consequences of greed as a warning.